The integration of the refugees who arrived in Estonia from Greece under the European Union’s migrant relocation program is developing as planned, some of the adults have found jobs, and the children have entered Estonian schools.

“Everything is going well for the refugees who have arrived here. Everything has gone as planned, and they are living their daily lives in the new environment,” spokesman for the Ministry of Social Affairs, Oskar Lepik, told BNS. Lepik added that some of the adults had found jobs, while the rest had registered with the Unemployment Insurance Fund and were looking for work.

“They all have their documents,” Lepik said. “They have visited the local municipality and have submitted their subsistence benefit applications.”

According to Lepik, refugees start learning Estonian one month after their arrival. “Pre-school children have already joined the education system. They are not learning in the regular program, but will still focus more on learning Estonian at the beginning,” he added.

Estonia has so far taken in 27 refugees from Greece, eight of them in June, 12 in April, and seven in March. Estonian experts have also conducted interviews in Turkey, and the first refugee families from Turkey might arrive in Estonia in July.

Following the local elections in October this year, Reform Party founder, former prime minister, EU commissioner, and presidential candidate Siim Kallas took on the job of municipal mayor of Viimsi, a community on the outskirts of Tallinn. In his interview with ERR's Toomas Sildam, Kallas talks about local government, his party, the EU presidency, and perspectives in Estonian politics.